Apr 14, Colombo: The Meteorology Department of Sri Lanka today requested the fishermen and the naval personnel to be vigilant when venturing into the sea as the seas off the island will be rough.

Issuing a warning at 12 noon on Friday for the next 24 hours, Meteorology Department said due to the active cloudiness associated with a low level disturbance in the Bay of Bengal, in the east of Sri Lanka, sudden increase of wind speed can result in sudden roughness of seas around the island.

"The deep and shallow sea areas off the coast extending from Colombo to Trincomalee via Galle, Hambantota and Batticaloa, sudden roughness of the sea areas associated with sudden increase of wind speed (up to 70-80kmph) is possible," the Department said in its weather forecast.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea area off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle.

The Department said winds will be westerly to south-westerly in direction at 30-40 kmph but Wind speed can increase up to 60 kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Batticaloa via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.

For rest of the island, prevailing showery condition is expected to reduce over the island. Fairly strong winds up to 50 kmph at times can be expected over the island during next few days. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa & Central provinces.